Don't think he tried to beat the lights. 
From what I heard the crossing is a unmanned gated one where you are supposed to phone up Network Rail and find out if it is safe to cross, and only cross when you have permission that it is safe to do so from the signalbox. Network Rail have said that they did not recieve a call from the lorry, so it looks like they just assumed it was safe and ventured out without checking it was safe to do so. Shame people don't seem to learn, wasn't that long ago, a few weeks at the latest since the results of a inquest of a woman killed on the Cambrian Line in Mid Wales was published where the same thing happened, only that time sadly resulting in loss of life.
All the best to the people who were injured